There are lots of wresters on the mat so far in the high school season that recently got underway.
But the overall numbers are down 29 percent, due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic that wiped out all competition between the last state tournament in March 2020 through the 2022 season openers.
There are 1,268 wrestlers statewide, compared to 1,796 in 2020. The 2022 total is lower than it’s been in the last five competition years.
Kapaa’s Jolette Miner-Ho, top, placed fifth in the 168-pound division at the 2020 state tournament, when she was a senior. (Image credit: Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island newspaper).
In the pandemic down time, many coaches believe that some athletes found other things to do instead of continuing to train on their own.
Kapolei coach Sean Salter expects a “volatile” season, saying that the amount of work and training put in by a particular wrestler or a particular team during the nearly two years without real matches will likely vary widely from school to school and athlete to athlete.
Oh, and in case anyone forgot, any team planning on breaking through for the championship must go through Kamehameha. The Warriors are going for three titles in a row on both the girls and boys sides.
2020 Hawaii High School Wrestlers By League
>> BIIF: 198 (16 percent)
>> ILH: 279 (22 percent)
>> KIF: 23 (0.02 percent)
>> MIL: 157 (12 percent)
>> OIA: 611 (48 percent)
Hawaii High School Wrestlers In The Last Six Years
>> 2022: 1,268
>> 2021: 0
>> 2020: 1,786
>> 2019: 1,438
>> 2018: 1,485
>> 2017: 1,362
Breaking Down The 2020 State Champs And Placers By League
Sometimes the neighbor island leagues don’t get the proper credit for having strong wrestlers and excellent programs.
That’s not anybody’s fault. It’s more about location. There are more wrestlers, people, fans and media outlets on Oahu, the state’s population center, so sometimes the attention gets heavily shifted there.
For fun, I looked up the 2020 champions and state placers for a breakdown by league with a focus on the Neighbor Islands.
Here are some of those numbers:
>> The Neighbor Islands had three of the 14 boys state champions (21 percent)
>> The Neighbor Islands had four of the 14 girls state champions (29 percent)
>> The Neighbor Islands had seven of the 28 overall state champions (25 percent)
>> The Neighbor Islands had 24 of the 84 boys state placers (29 percent)
>> The Neighbor Islands had 31 of the 84 girls state placers (37 percent)
>> The Neighbor Islands had 55 of the 168 overall state placers (33 percent)
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>> 14 boys state champions by league: ILH 8, OIA 3, MIL 2, BIIF 1, KIF 0.
>> 14 girls state champions by league: OIA 8, MIL 3, ILH 2, BIIF 1, KIF 0.
>> 28 overall state champions by league: OIA 11, ILH 10, MIL 5, BIIF 2, KIF 0
>> 14 boys state champions by school: Kamehameha 4, Baldwin 2, ‘Iolani 2, Punahou 2, Kamehameha-Hawaii 1, Kaimuki 1, Moanalua 1, Waianae 1
>> 14 girls state champions by school: Kamehameha 2, Lahainaluna 2, Mililani 2, Aiea 1, Baldwin 1, Campbell 1, Castle 1, Hilo 1, Kalani 1, Moanalua 1, Waianae 1
>> 28 overall state champions by school: Kamehameha 6, Baldwin 3, ‘Iolani 2, Lahainaluna 2, Mililani 2, Moanalua 2, Punahou 2, Waianae 2, Aiea 1, Campbell 1, Castle 1, Hilo 1, Kaimuki 1, Kalani 1, Kamehameha-Hawaii 1
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>> 84 boys state placers by league: ILH 31, OIA 29, MIL 14, BIIF 9, KIF 1
>> 84 girls state placers by league: OIA 42, MIL 15, BIIF 14, ILH 11, KIF 2
>> 168 overall state placers by league: OIA 71, ILH 42, MIL 29, BIIF 23, KIF 3
And here’s a list of the 55 Neighbor Islands state placers from 2020, with wrestlers returning in 2022 marked with an asterisk.
>> *Tobey Ravida, Baldwin, 113 state champ
>> Cael Yasutake, Lahainaluna, 113 runner-up
>> Aiden Shikuma, Waiakea, 113, fourth place
>> *Raizen Aina, Kamehameha-Maui, 113 sixth place
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>> Coby Ravida ,Baldwin, 120 state champ
>> Rylan Smith, Waiakea, 120 fourth place
>> Alan Sanchez, Lanai, 120 fifth place
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>> Kanoa Lanoza, Lahainaluna, 126 runner-up
>> Kahilihiwa Joy, Baldwin, 126 fifth place
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>> Caleb Shimaoka, Waiakea 132 fourth place
>> Dawson Nolasco, Lahainaluna, 132 fifth place
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>> Jesse Dudoit, Lahainaluna, 145 fourth place
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>> Nainoa Flores, Baldwin, 152 sixth place
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>> Kamalu Anahu, Kamehameha-Hawaii, 160 state champion
>> Hana Kahookaulana, Hilo, 160 second place
>> Kainoa Aruda-Starwood, Kamehameha-Maui, 160 fourth place
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>> Thomas Momoa, Hana, 170 fifth place
>> Dshane Bannister, Keaau, 170 sixth place
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>> Alejandro Blanco, Waiakea, 182 fourth place
>> Zachary Genobia, Kamehameha-Maui, 182 fifth place
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>> Matai Mataafa, Lahainaluna, 195 fourth place
>> Maimiloa Padrones, Kauai, 195 sixth place
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>> Chandon Pacheco, Honokaa, 220 third place
>> Maake Panuve, Baldwin, 220 fourth place
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>> *Liana Ferreira, Baldwin, 97 runner-up
>> *Naiomi Kulukulualani-Sales, Lahainaluna, 97 fourth place
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>> Lilliana Campbell, Hilo, 102 fourth place
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>> Michealah Vasquez, King Kekaulike, 112 fourth place
>> *Kivah, Caballero, Lahainaluna, 112 fifth place
>> Ashley Lavarius, Hilo, 112 fifth place
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>> *Alicia Frank, Lahainaluna, 117 runner-up
>> Pualani Louis, Kealakehe, 117 fifth place
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>> Ashlee Palimoo, KS-Maui, 122 third place
>> Lydia Dudoit, Lahainaluna, 122 fourth place
>> Alana Morris, Molokai, 122 sixth place
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>> Jahnea Miguel, 127 third place
>> *Lainey Eckart, 127 fourth place
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>> Nanea Estrella, Lahainaluna, 132 state champion
>> *Zysha Pavao, Keaau, 132 fourth place
>> Tehya Tanigawa Kamehameha-Hawaii, 132 sixth place
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>> Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp, Baldwin, 138 runner-up
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>> Tyeisha Takamori, Baldwin, 145 fourth place
>> Chaenel Deluna, Molokai, 145 sixth place
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>> *Kaceylee Pua, Baldwin, 155 runner-up
>> Fayannie Rosario, Lahainaluna, 155 fourth place
>> Alana Takata, Kauai, 155 fifth place
>> Kitana Lowery, Hilo, 155 sixth place
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>> Shayna Kamaka, Baldwin, 168 state champion
>> Jolette Miner-Ho, Kapaa, 168 fifth place
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>> Shannon Jaramillo, 184 state champion
>> *Lilliane Toledo, Hilo, 184 fourth place
>> Kaleinani Makuaole, Keaau, 184 sixth place
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>> Leona Toledo, Hilo, 225 state champion
>> Zyanne Pavao, Keaau, 225 sixth place
Wrestling Begins On Big Island, With Maui and Kauai To Follow
The BIIF start its first mini tournaments last Saturday at Hilo, and the MIL round-robin tournaments will start this Saturday, Jan. 22, at Baldwin.
In the BIIF, Hilo coach Ryan Taniguchi expects only three teams to have enough on their rosters to compete in dual matches — Hilo, Kamehameha-Hawaii and Keaau.
Taniguchi, who wrestled in high school under coach Todd Hayase at Lahainaluna, also mentioned that there is a freshman wrestler for the Vikings who could have a big season — Jeream Establio, who looks to be in the 112-pound class.
On the Valley Isle, the anticipation is high for the debut of Kamehameha-Maui freshman Mikah Labuanan in the 132-pound class.
The KIF regular season gets underway Saturday, Jan. 29. Three regular season tournaments and the KIF Duals will be held before the KIF Championships on Feb. 26.
Kealakehe Coach Ivan Louis Is Working Hard To Grow The Sport In Kona
In a recent phone discussion, Kealakehe coach Ivan Louis had some exciting news.
“We got the go-ahead to start an intermediate school program,” he said. “And we are trying to get more kids involved in youth wrestling in Kona.”
Parents interested in checking out youth wrestling in Kona can call Louis at 808-345-2045 or email him at [email protected].
Louis, like many coaches, talked about the importance of keeping active in the offseason and throughout the season.
“I like to think of it as sharpening a blade,” Louis said. “Every weekend now that the season has started, we want them to keep sharpening their blade, not staying still, keep moving.”
In 2020, Louis’ daughter Tanalei Louis finished her wrestling career at Midland University (Fremont, Nebraska). Another daughter, Pualani Louis, who placed fifth at 117 pounds at the 2020 state tournament, is a freshman wrestler for Midland.
